Around the World With the Octonauts
by Gale Force
Summary: The Octonauts and the OctoScouts (Doxi, Squirt, Peso and Chilly) have a mission to travel around the world to see how climate change is affecting the coasts of every continent. On their mission they have plenty of adventures, excitement, and learn a lot about oceanography. This is a serial that will be published in several chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Around the World with the Octonauts**

**Chapter Two: Arctic Emergency Station**

"We're almost at the North Pole, Captain," announced Dashi, moving her fingers over her control keyboard. "We should be right underneath it in about thirty more minutes."

The Octopod, with its four arms locked for travel, was making its way slowly toward the North Pole for the latest mission of the Octonauts.

"We're maintain a depth of ten **FATHOMS**," Dashi reported.

"Fatha fatha?" burbled Tunip.

Half of the Vegimals, including Tunip, were seated in specially-sized chairs at one side of the HQ. Captain Barnacles stood in the center, as was his custom. Professor Inkling was seated in his special hoverchair, as was Kwazii, watching the viewing screen in front of them that showed the cold, dark water of the Arctic Ocean. Searchlights from the Octopod picked out the occasional creature swimming past.

"A **FATHOM**," explained Shellington to Tunip, "is six feet, or 1.8 meters. If we are ten **FATHOMS** below the surface of the water, that means we are sixty feet, or 18 meters down."

Then Professor Inkling chimed in. "The word **FATHOM** comes to us from the Vikings. If you outstretch your arms," and he outstretched two of his tentacles, "that used to be the length of one **FATHOM** in olden times, when the Vikings sailed the seven seas."

"The Vikings," exclaimed Kwazii. "They were great seafarers and no mistake!"

Captain Barnacles nodded agreement.

"Good work, Dashi." He touched his communicator. "How is the engine holding out, Tweak?"

"The engine is doing fine, Cap," came Tweak's voice.

In the engine room, Tweak was keeping an eye on the dials and gauges that told her how well the bubble engine was operating in the cold water. The remaining Vegimals, each one wearing a hard hat, were also in the engine room, standing on a VegiRover that raised them to the height needed to also keep an eye on the gauges. It was on treads so they could circle the Engine room easily.

Captain Barnacles touched his communicator again. "Come in, Peso."

"Peso here, Captain," reported the penguin medic.

"How is everyone doing?"

"We're all enjoying hot chocolate and watching the view screen, Captain. The OctoScouts are very excited! And so are Polar Scouts Orson and Ursa."

Captain Barnacles smiled.

The Octopod was carrying several passengers as it started out on its new mission.

Barnacles' nephew and niece, Orson and Ursa, were a couple of years older now, and had been selected for a six-month mission to the Arctic Polar Scout Emergency Post, where Tracker was going to teach them everything he knew about the Emergency Service, the computers and radio systems.

In addition to Orson and Ursa, the Octopod was bringing a year's supply of food and drink to the Emergency Post.

Also on board were brand-new OctoScouts Squirt (nephew of Professor Inkling), Koshi (sister of Dashi), Pinto (younger brother of Peso) and Chilly, an Arctic Fox who was the granddaughter of one of Captain Barnacles' mentors, Professor Natquik. Usually Arctic Foxes with a thirst for adventure became members of the Polar Scouts, but Chilly had wanted to become an OctoScout.

Dashi touched a button on her keyboard, and the Octopod slowed to a halt, ten fathoms below the surface. An overhead map of the North Pole and the surrounding region was displayed on the computer screen, with a small flag exactly in the center.

"We are here, Captain," said Dashi. "The Arctic Polar Scout Emergency station is currently right at the North Pole, and we are right below it."

The OctoScouts and the two Polar Scouts heard Dashi's voice.

"Are we at the magnetic north pole, or the geographic north pole?" asked Squirt.

His voice could be heard in the HQ as well.

"The what?" asked Kwazii, in the HQ. "What do you mean, magnetic north pole?"

"We are at the magnetic north pole, Kwazii, Squirt," said Professor Inkling.

"Take a look at this globe," said Shellington, punching a few buttons so that the picture of a globe in a stand came up on the screen.

"See how it is tilted 23 degrees to one side?"

"I can see it's tilted," said Kwazii, who wasn't much into exactitude.

Shellington smiled. "No one knows why it's tilted," he said, "but it's lucky for us it is. Have you ever wondered how we get our seasons? Winter, spring, summer and fall?"

"Isn't it because the earth goes around the sun?" said Kwazii. "When we're far away from the sun, we have winter, and when we're closer, it's summer."

Shellington smiled again. "Lots of people think that Kwazii, but remember that when it's winter in North America, it's summer somewhere else. So, it's got nothing to do with how far we are away from the sun."

"Oh," said Kwazii. "I guess I never really thought about it before."

"It's a common mistake, Kwazii," said Professor Inkling. "But the real reason we have seasons is because of that 23-degree tilt. For several months out of the year the tilt of the earth, with the Northern Hemisphere, is facing the sun, and that gives us our summer. Then, for several months out of the year, the Southern Hemisphere receives more sunlight, so it's their summer and winter for the Northern Hemisphere."

"But it's always winter in the Arctic and Antarctic," said Kwazii with a shiver.

"Well, it's always cold," agreed Professor Inkling.

Captain Barnacles said, "Dashi, please send a message to Tracker that we've arrived. The supplies for the Emergency Post have already been loaded into the Gup-S. Polar Scouts Orson and Ursa, it's time for you to head to the Launch Bay. You too, Peso."

"We're on our way, Uncl…Captain," said Orson and Ursa together.

Kwazii had been to the Arctic Emergency Station before, and wasn't interested in going again. He merely waved his cup of hot chocolate at Captain Barnacles and Dashi as they left the HQ to go to the launch bay.

A few minutes later, Captain Barnacles, Peso, Dashi, and Orson and Ursa were in the Gup S and on their way upward to the Arctic Polar Scout Emergency Station.


	2. Chapter 2

**Around the World with the Octonauts**

**Chapter Two: Arctic Polar Scout Emergency Post **_**Polaris**_

_**Aboard the Octopod**_

From the HQ, Kwazii, Shellington, Professor Inkling, Tunip and a few of the Vegimals watched the view screen as the Gup S appeared and headed upward to the Arctic Polar Scout Emergency Post _Polaris_.

A few seconds later, the OctoScouts and Tweak arrived in the HQ as well.

The HQ had been outfitted with extra seats, one for each of the Scouts, and each scout – Koshi, sister of Dashi; Pinto, brother of Peso; Squirt, nephew of Professor Inkling; and Chilly, granddaughter of Professor Natquik - took their assigned seats.

"We're on the surface," came Captain Barnacles' voice, and the camera from the Gup S showed the darkness - for it was winter in the Arctic – but the Arctic Polar Scout Emergency Post _Polaris_ was clearly visible because Tracker, the post operator, had turned on the homing beacons. "We have the _Polaris_ in view."

"Why is the Emergency Post named _Polaris_?" asked Koshi curiously.

"I ca answer that, little matey," said Kwazii cheerfully. "Many's the time I navigated by Polaris, back in me pirate days. It's one of the names of the North Star, the brightest star in the night sky, here in the Northern Hemisphere."

"Exactly, Kwazii," said Professor Inkling. "Polaris is a star in the constellation Ursa Major. The Big Bear. Have you ever looked up at the night sky and seen the constellations, Koshi? Of course, you're from Australia, which is in the Southern Hemisphere. So, the constellations visible from the Northern Hemisphere, such as Ursa Major, aren't visible to you. And in the same way, the constellations in the Southern Hemisphere aren't visible to us when we are in the Northern Hemisphere."

"That's right," said Koshi. "I like looking at the stars, but I've never learned what the constellations are."

"You should, little matey," said Kwazii, "and I'll be happy to teach you. Everyone should know the constellations."

"Perhaps," said Shellington mischievously, "Once Captain Barnacles has finished delivering supplies to the _Polaris_, you could take the OctoScouts up there and show them the constellations. It's not snowing, and there's no wind at the moment. The night sky is perfect. And it's pretty warm out there, too. It's only 5 degrees below 0 right now."

Kwazii stared at Shellington, his whiskers shivering.

"I think it would be best to teach about the constellations in warmer weather, matey," he finally said. "Just…well, just because."

Everyone laughed.

Then Shellington said: "The Arctic Polar Scout Emergency Post originally didn't have a special name. It used to just be out there, drifting around on the sea ice. But then TechnoOcean (the company that provided the funds for the Octonauts, OsctoScouts and Polar Scouts) decided that it wasn't safe to have the post on the sea ice, because of climate change. So, they built a gigantic ice floe out of a substance called Pykrete – ice and sawdust, believe it or not – and placed it right at the magnetic north pole. A new Emergency Station was built on top of it, and named the _Polaris_. It's twice the size of the old Emergency Post, and has many new features."

**Emergency Post **_**Polaris**_

Captain Barnacles brought the Gup S to a halt right beside the _Polaris_, and extended the snow spikes on its wheels and treads to lock it into place.

He touched his communicator.

"Barnacles to Octopod."

"Octopod here, Captain," responded Kwazii immediately.

"We're right outside the Gup S. Weather is clear. We're going to start transferring all the cargo immediately."

"Understood, Captain."

"Barnacles out."

Barnacles tapped his communicator again. "Barnacles to Tracker."

"Tracker here, sir," the young polar bear said from inside the emergency post.

"We're right beside the _Polaris_, Tracker. Please open the doors to the Storage Bay, and we'll bring all our cargo inside."

"Right away, captain."

Captain Barnacles went back into the cargo bay of the Gup S. At the rear of the craft were four Oco-Snow-Scooters, each one hooked up to a small trailer on snow treads. And on each trailer was a large cargo container.

"Dashi, you pilot Scooter 2," said Barnacles. "Peso, you ride with me on Scooter 1. Orson, you're on Scooter 3 and Ursa, you're on Scooter 4."

The two Polar Scouts had already practiced driving the Snow Scooters. In fact, each of the scooters was going to be left behind, as more gear for the Emergency Post, so that Orson and Ursa could go out on their own and rescue creatures if they needed to.

Captain Barnacles pressed a button near the back end of the Gup S and a door slid open, with plenty of room for the Snow Scooters to drive out.

"Here we go," said Captain Barnacles. "Follow me, everyone."

Barnacles pressed the starter and his Snow Scooter came to life. He piloted it out of the Gup S and across the ten yards of ice to the open door of the _Polaris_ cargo bay.

He was followed, at a safe distance, by Dashi, and then Orson and Ursa.

When the last Snow Scooter was safely inside the cargo bay, Tracker, who had been watching everything from his command post, pressed a button that closed the cargo bay door.

As soon as the door closed Tracker opened the door to the Emergency Post.

"Captain Barnacles, it's great to see you," he said.

"Great to see you, Tracker," said Barnacles cheerfully. "Meet your new crew – Polar Scouts Orson and Ursa."

The three polar bears exchanged greetings.

Then Tracker turned shyly to Dashi.

"Hi, Dashi," he said.

"Hi, Tracker," Dashi said, smiling. "Nice to finally meet you in person."

"And this is Peso, our medic," said Barnacles, finishing the introductions. "Let's unpack everything we brought, and then have some hot chocolate!"

The new arrivals, and Tracker, went to work.

Orson and Ursa unpacked two of the containers, which held food for a year – kelp cakes of all varieties, as well as plenty of dried fruits and vegetables, water, milk, and hot chocolate mix – and stacked them in appropriate places on the shelves in the cargo bay, which were clearly labeled.

Peso and Dashi brought in several boxes of books to restock the new _Polaris_ library. Tracker had already packed up the books that he'd already read – at least, those that weren't his favorites – for the Octonauts to take back with them to the Octopod, so they could be donated to a different emergency post or research station.

Peso also brought in a few fresh medical supplies and place them in the Medical Supply Cabinet.

The emergency post was powered by a hydroelectric generator, that took its energy from the power of the water below the "ice floe" on which it sat. The generator sat in a corner of the cargo bay, and Captain Barnacles carried a variety of very heavy equipment over to the shelves beside it, so that it could be repaired if anything went wrong with it.

After Barnacles had finished placing all the gear on the appropriate shelves, he went to help Orson and Ursa finish their task.

When all the food was stowed away, Orsa and Ursa carried their duffel bags – packed full of Polar Scout uniforms, a few of their own favorite books, and other items – into the station where they would be living for the next six months.

After Peso and Dashi had finished bringing in all their supplies, the captain carried out the boxes of used books that Tracker had prepared, and stowed them away in one of the scooters.

"We've done a good job of work," he said, coming back into the post. "I'm ready for that hot chocolate!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Around the World with the Octonauts**

**Chapter Three: The New Crew**

**I.**

The _Polaris_ was in the shape of a gigantic igloo. The ceiling curved high above them. The walls that divided the post into several room were only six feet high, however. This allowed the air to circulate freely throughout the post.

"Let me show you around," said Tracker. "The back half is for the cargo, equipment and storage, as you saw. Over here are the sleeping quarters. There's three bedrooms, so we'll each have our own. They're pretty small though."

The Octonauts nodded. "Large" was a relative term, and even though the _Polaris_ was twice as large as the old emergency outpost, it still wasn't that big.

"Here's the library and game room," said Tracker, opening one door. "And over here is the kitchen. And of course here," he waved at the banks of computer screens, "is the command center, where Orson, Ursa and I will do our training and be ready to help any creature that may call for help!"

"It's very impressive," said Captain Barnacles. "And you've got it organized quite neatly, Tracker."

"Thank you, captain," said Tracker.

Tracker turned to the cubs.

"Your uncle taught me everything I know about the Emergency Service," he said. "I'm honored that he's chosen me to be your mentor and trainer here at the _Polaris_."

"I know you'll do an excellent job, Tracker," said Captain Barnacles cheerfully.

"Uncle Barnacles has told us all about you, Tracker," said Orson. "You were first in your class at the Polar Scout Academy. You must have worked really hard."

"Orson and I want to follow in your paw tracks," said Ursa, "well, your tracks _and_ Uncle Barnacles' tracks."

Barnacles laughed. "You couldn't do better than to follow in Tracker's tracks, Ursa. Or create your own. Be the best you can be at whatever you decide to be – _that_ should be your ambition."

Dashi finished her hot chocolate.

"Well, I better get to work. Tracker, there's several new programs on the Octopod that I'll be uploading into your computer systems. Would you like to help me?"

"Of course," said Tracker eagerly.

Among the applications that Dashi installed was a medical training program that Peso had put together, and a "How to Fix Anything" tutorial that Tweak had compiled.

While Dashi and Tracker worked on the computer installation in the command center, Orson and Ursa spent their time unpacking their gear. As Tracker had said, they were small rooms – each with a bunkbed, a sea-chest for clothes, and a bookcase for books, or DVDs or CDs or anything else they'd like, and a computer terminal hardwired to the internet.

Peso returned to the Medical Supply Cabinet and was conducting an inventory of all the supplies. He knew he hadn't forgotten anything, but he wanted to make sure.

This thoroughness was typical of Peso, but it was also typical of Captain Barnacles. He spent the next hour walking through the cargo bay, examining every shelf and checking the inventory on his hand-held computer.

Finally, he was satisfied that everything was "ship-shape." He put a final check mark on the inventory and then walked back into the main room. Orson and Ursa were seated at the kitchen table, sipping hot chocolate and being very quiet.

Captain Barnacles sat down beside them.

"Have you checked your Octo-tablets, cubs?" he said. "Even from this far away you'll be able to contact your mum and talk to her whenever you like."

Ursa smiled. Her eyes were suspiciously bright. Orson wiped his nose with his paw.

"I forgot to check to make sure the Octo-tablet was hooked up to the internet," he said. "Let me just make sure."

He trotted into his room and returned with his Octo-tablet. He booted it up, and then tapped on his video communication program. Then he tapped on the button marked "Home."

It was answered immediately.

The image of his mother appeared on the screen.

"Orson, Ursa! How nice to see you."

"Hello, mummy," said Orson an Ursa simultaneously.

"Hello, Bianca," said Captain Barnacles, leaning in to camera view.

"We're here and all unpacked," said Orson excitedly.

"And Tracker is very nice," said Ursa. "He's going to teach us all about the Emergency Service!"

Barnacles relaxed, smiling, as his nephew and niece talked to their mother. Truth be told, Bianca lived in the Arctic and could visit the _Polaris_ any time she liked, but she had agreed with her brother that Orson and Ursa needed to be on their own for the six months of their training program with Tracker.

**II.**

While everyone else had spent the last hour talking and sharing anecdotes of past adventures or educational activities, Dashi had been taking photographs of the interior of _Polaris_.

"I'll be writing an article for the next issue of _National Seographic_," she explained to Tracker.

"You'll be wanting to take some photos of the exterior of _Polaris_ before we leave," said Barnacles, "so I think we'd better leave now to give you some time. Tracker, Orson, Ursa, you have quite an adventure ahead of you."

Orson and Ursa hugged their uncle, and Dashi, and Peso. Tracker saluted them, and they walked back out into the Arctic night.

Outside, the _Polaris_ was still brightly lit. Dashi circled it, taking several photographs.

Captain Barnacles and Peso walked beside her. Captain Barnacles took the opportunity to inspect the exterior of the _Polaris_. He didn't expect to find anything amiss, but it was as well to be sure.

When Dashi was finished taking her photos, they returned to the Gup S and Barnacles touched his communicator. "Barnacles to the Octopod."

"Octopod here, Captain," said Kwazii immediately.

"We're heading back, Kwazii. We should be there in about 45 minutes."

"Right you are, Captain. We'll leave the light on for you."

**III.**

Back inside the _Polaris_, Tracker indicated the row of circular clock faces lined up on the wall above his listening station. They were analog clocks rather than digital, and they each told the time in a different part of the world.

In the Arctic, it was 10 pm.

"Well, Orson and Ursa, it's kind of late for you," said Tracker. "Would you like to turn in for the night?"

"Well," said Orson, "I'm too excited to be tired right now."

"Me too," said Ursa.

"Well, I don't think we should start work until tomorrow morning. But how about a game of SCRABBLE®? Or we could play three-handed cribbage?"

"Let's start with SCRABBLE®," Orson and Ursa said simultaneously.

"SCRABBLE® it is," said Tracker with a grin. "Let's bring our hot chocolate into the game room, and get started."


	4. Chapter 4

**Around the World with the Octonauts**

**Chapter Four: The Arctic Circle**

**Aboard the Octopod**

The next morning, after breakfasting together, the Octonauts and OctoScouts gathered inside the HQ.

Dashi brought up a photo of the Arctic Circle, displaying it on each of the viewscreens.

At the very center of the image, beside the caption that read Magnetic North Pole, was a small red flag.

"All right, everyone," said Captain Barnacles, "what we are looking at is an aerial view of the top of the world.

That flag represents where the Octopod is, ten fathoms beneath the North Pole. We are inside what is called the Arctic Circle and are surrounded by the Arctic Ocean, which is covered in sea ice.

Does anyone know how the Arctic Circle got its name?"

Squirt lifted a tentacle.

"Yes, Squirt?"

"The entire region within that circle has an average temperature of minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit, all the year round."

"That's right, Squirt."

Barnacles picked up a laser pointer and used it to indicate each country as he mentioned it:

"Now, as you can see, directly to the south of us are a few islands that belong to the country of Norway. It's what's called an archipelago, and its name is Svalbard.

To our southwest is the continent of Greenland.

To the west are the Queen Elizabeth islands, that belong to the country of Canada.

To the northwest is the state of Alaska, one of the fifty states of the United States of America. It's separated by the rest of the "lower 48" as they call it, by the country of Canada.

To the north and north east is Russia. You can see a few islands – the New Siberian Islands, Severnaya Zelya and Franz Josef Land. They all belong to Russia.

Now, following along clockwise, to the southeast, below those Russian islands, are the countries of Finland, Sweden and Norway."

The OctoScouts looked intently at the map. Squirt and Chilly, the Arctic Fox, were already familiar with this geography, but it was all new to Doshi and Pinto. Pinto was a penguin, and had been born in the Antarctic. Doshi had been born in Australia, which was in the Southern Hemisphere, and close to the Antarctic. This was the first time she'd journeyed into the Northern Hemisphere, and her very first time at the Arctic, too.

Kwazii was looking at all the islands intently, his whiskers shivering. He knew the main mission of the Octonauts – to place an Emergency Rescue Beacon on the coast, and beneath, each of the islands in the Arctic Ocean. One of the beacons would be for use by land creatures, and the other for sea creatures. They could activate the beacon if ever they needed help, making it easy for the Polar Scouts to track them down and render assistance.

Where are we going to start, Captain?" asked Shellington.

"Well," said Captain Barnacles, looking appraisingly at the map, "we're closest right now to Greenland. So, I suggest we start with Greenland, and then move in a clockwise direction throughout the entire region, so that we finish with Norway. Then we can continue our Coastal Beacon Project by heading south to Iceland, which, Scouts, as you can see, is south of Greenland."

"Why is Greenland called Greenland if Iceland is south of it?" asked Koshi. "Greenland must be covered with ice too, mustn't it?"

"It's an example of false advertising, Koshi," said Professor Inkling. "When the Vikings discovered Greenland, hundreds of years ago, they wanted people to colonize it. They didn't think people would want to go to a country called Iceland, so they called it Greenland. And the coasts of the continent _are_ green, anyway, it's just the interior of the continent that is covered in ice."

"And Iceland," contributed Shellington, "is actually a green and pleasant island. With lots of volcanoes. It's going to be a treat to explore it."

Koshi nodded. "I love volcanoes," she said.

Koshi took her stylus and wrote herself a note on her Octo-tablet. She would do more research into how Iceland and Greenland got their names. Perhaps she and her sister Dashi could write a mystery story about why the two islands had such deceiving names.

**The Gup Trainer**

"Alright," said Captain Barnacles. "Let's head for Greenland. Dashi…."

"Already on it, Captain," said Dashi. She turned around to her computer station and began inputting coordinates.

As the Octopod slowly began to change direction, Barnacles took out his Octo-tablet.

"OctoScouts," he said, "I've got your assignments for the day. Squirt, it's your turn in the Gup Trainer. Kwazii, why not give him a turn in the Gup B?"

"With pleasure, Captain," said Kwazii, bouncing toward the Octo-tube. "Let's go, matey."

Squirt hopped off his hover chair and followed Kwazii.

The Gup Trainer was Tweak's latest invention. She had gotten the idea after Shellington had crashed the Gup D one too many times.

The Gup Trainer was a large box in one corner of the Launch Bay. Kwazii opened the door for Squirt, and the young dumbo octopus maneuvered himself up into a life-sized model of a Gup, complete with control levers and communication and fuel buttons. There was also a wrap-around movie screen. No matter where the pilot of the Gup trainer looked, he or she would see a realistic depiction of an ocean exterior.

Squirt pressed the button to start the trainer, and the view screen came to life. Kwazii chose an undersea canyon program. Squirt would have to maneuver his Gup through the narrow canyon, avoiding creatures and seaweed and whatever else the program could throw at him.

The Gup Trainer was just like a life-sized video game. If Squirt turned the Gup to port, the whole Gup mockup would lean a bit on its hydraulics as he headed left. And if he wanted to go to starboard, the same thing would happen on the opposite site. If he pushed the controls all the way down in a crash drive, the hydraulics would lift the tail of the Gup up to make it as realistic as possible.

When the OctoScouts had first boarded the Octopod a couple of weeks ago, at Octopod base, Captain Barnacles had immediately started them on a training regimen. Each of the Scouts got to practice at least half an hour a day in the Gup Trainer, just as Captain Barnacles' niece and nephew had trained on the Octo-Snow-Scooters in a trainer as well.

Outside the Gup Trainer, Kwazii watched a viewing screen that showed him the interior of the Trainer and how Squirt was doing. The young octopus was doing quite well, as a matter of fact, manipulating the controls with his tentacles quite easily. Squirt had grown and matured a lot since the first time Kwazii had met him, trapped in a sea cave after an earthquake at the seamount where he'd lived.

He was going to make a fine Octonaut one day, Kwazii thought. All the OctoScouts would.


	5. Chapter 5

**Around the World with the Octonauts**

**Chapter Five: OctoScouts in Training**

**Creature Identification**

While Squirt was practicing piloting a Gup, the rest of the OctoScouts – Pinto, Koshi and Chilly, were having a lesson in Creature Identification.

"We have a creature database that you can access," said their teacher for this topic, Shellington, "but when you're out exploring it's best if you can identify a creature immediately. So, let's talk about creatures that live in the Arctic Ocean."

They were seated in the conference room just off the kitchen. Shellington had set up a slideshow of photos of creatures that ace Dashi had taken in the Arctic over the last several years.

"It's very cold in the Arctic Ocean all the year round," Shellington said, "so all the creatures who live here have to be adapted to that cold. We're going to start with the biggest creatures, and move on down to the smallest. I'm not going to talk about the mammals that live _on_ the sea ice or on islands – like polar bears, walruses and seals, but the creatures that live in the water all the time."

He pressed the button on his hand-held remote and on the viewscreen appeared a gorgeous photo of a large, white sea creature.

"Pinto, let's start with you. Can you identify this creature?"

"It's a beluga whale," said Pinto promptly. "It's the only whale that is all white, and it doesn't have a dorsal fin. Males can grow to be 18 feet long, and females are slightly smaller. They can grow to be 13 feet long."

"Very good, Pinto. Koshi, how about this one?"

Shellington pressed the remote, and a new photo appeared, of a sea creature about the same size, that had a large tusk projecting from its snout.

"That's a narwhal," Koshi said immediately. "It is a toothed whale, just like the beluga."

"It's got a _big_ tooth," said Chilly.

Koshi nodded. "That's a tusk. Only the narwhal has a tusk, which is actually one of its teeth that grows really long for some reason."

"What about swordfish?" asked Pinto. "Don't they grow a tusk?"

"No," said Shellington. "The long sword-like protuberance that swordfish have is called a bill. The bill is actually their upper jawbone, and so it is made of bone. For the narwhal, their tusk isn't bone, it's an actual tooth, made of ivory."

The OctoScouts tapped this information into their tablets.

Shellington pressed the remote. "And how about this creature, Chilly?"

Chilly the Arctic fox looked at the large grey creature with a large tail. It had no dorsal fin and a large mouth, with long strips of white baleen making it look like it was grinning.

"That's a bowhead whale," Chilly said. "It uses its head to break through the sea ice. Why don't these creatures have dorsal fins, Shellington? Wouldn't it make it easier for them to swim?"

"It's because they need to conserve body heat, Chilly," said Shellington. "Also, here in the Arctic there is a lot of sea ice that they need to be able to swim through. A dorsal fin would just get in the way."

Chilly nodded. "Of course, I should have realized."

"It was a good question, Chilly. I want all of you to make sure to ask questions. Sometimes we make assumptions that seem to be obvious but turn out to be incorrect. So please, do ask, even if you think you know the answer."

"Barnacles to Shellington."

Barnacles' voice came over the communicator.

"Shellington here, Captain."

"Shellington, our sensors report that there are quite a few sea creatures in front of us. I wonder if you'd like to take the OctoScouts out in the Gup I to meet them in person."

"That's an excellent Idea, Captain!"

A few minutes later, Shellington, Kwazii and Peso were in the Gup I, along with Chilly, Pinto, Koshi, and Squirt, who had finished his Gup training for the day.

Barnacles and Dashi remained aboard the Octopod in order to continue piloting it toward the coast of Greenland.

"Open the Octo-hatch please, Tweak," requested Shellington.

"You got it, Shellington," said Tweak. She pressed the button and the Octo-hatch slid open smoothly.

**Into the Arctic Ocean**

The Gup Swas a very large craft with several portholes, that Tweak had built especially for use in the Arctic and Antarctic. The engine and propellers were not affected by the cold water, and everyone inside was nice and warm – even though they all wore thermal diving suits to keep them warm should they have to evacuate the gup for some reason.

Kwazii was piloting the gup, while Shellington and the four OctosScouts remained seated in the cargo bay, eagerly watching through the portholes.

"Look," said Chilly, pointing, "there's a narwhal!"

"I wonder if he thinks that this is a narwhal too," said Koshi.

Shellington smiled. "Tweak did design the Gup S to resemble a narwhal, with its nose drill," he agreed, "but I don't think a real narwhal will be fooled."

"What's that," said Squirt suddenly, sounding rather frightened. "Is that an Orca? A killer whale?"

A black sea creature was swimming beside them, but its sides were white.

"Good guess, Squirt," said Shellington, "but that's actually a white beaked dolphin. All dolphins have a nose extension, what is called a beak – which is their jawbones. The technical term for this nose extension is "rostrum.""

"Rostrum," repeated Squirt. "Is that what the bill of a swordfish is called, too?"

"That's right, Squirt," said Shellington, pleased. "The bill of a sailfish is also called a rostrum, and so is the tusk of a narwhal. And although they don't live in the Arctic, the paddlefish and the sawfish have rostrums as well."

"It's got a dorsal fin," commented Koshi.

Shellington nodded. "You can see it's a lot smaller than the narwhal or beluga. It's able to maneuver under the ice more easily."

Chilly and Pinto looked eagerly out of the portholes on their side of the Gup.

"Barnacles to the Gup S," Captain Barnacles voice came clearly over the radio. "Barnacles to the Gup S. Do you read me, Kwazii?"

"Loud and clear, Captain," said Kwazii.

"Our radar indicates that there's a ship caught in the sea ice above you. I don't want to stop the Octopod to investigate. What do you think?"

"I'm already headed for the surface, Captain," said Kwazii, suiting deed to the word.

"Okay, but be careful. It isn't snowing and the wind isn't too bad, according to our sensors but remember it's winter here – you'll have to see by the moon and the stars, as well as the search lights on the Gup S."

"Understood, Captain. We're almost there…we're surfacing now…. we….we….well, shiver me whiskers!"


End file.
